


Running With You

by Merlahanceval



Category: Bates Motel (2013)
Genre: But a Happy ending nonetheless i promise, F/M, I just can't accept that Normero isn't endgame that's all, I'll add other characters as I go along, It gets sweeter and a little bit sadder and then a bit of existential dread here and there, On Hiatus, i reread it and wasnt satisfied, i wanna do it better so probably gonna rewrite, thanks again bye for now, the feedback is very much appreciated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27561565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merlahanceval/pseuds/Merlahanceval
Summary: What if Norma didn't let Norman come home yet?
Relationships: Norma Bates/Alex Romero
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. What do we say to death? Not Today.

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from the song "Positions" by Ariana Grande. No other elements of the song are incorporated into the story (yet), just the title.
> 
> The backbone of the work is Bates Motel Season 4 Episode 7. Saying that, the majority of the dialogue for chapters one and two are taken straight from it. Then I'll take it from there.

Norma ran to her son for an embrace.

"What are you doing here mother?" Norman asked, as he returns the hug. "I can't leave yet, there's a waiting period. I said that I'd call you."

"I know." Norma can't help but smile at her boy. "I know...I'm not here to pick you up." she said, as she puts her hands on his face and shoulders and back to his face again. Her son, her Norman, went through this to get better. He went through this for her. 

As tears of pride threat to fall from her eyes she says, "I'm so proud of you..." She's prouder than words can say. "I'm so proud of the work that you're doing...and as much as I want you to come home too,"

Oh, how she dreaded for the words to come...

"I think it might be worth it if you give it more time." She finally says. 

They look at each other. What Norman sees is confusion and... something else in his mother's eyes. What it really is is Norma bracing herself for his reaction because even just for a moment she can see Norman's frustration, so much so that it pushes her to water down the scorching effects of her previous words.

"We were so lucky to get you in this place." She attempted.

"We?"

To no effect. 

She looks at him. "We, Yeah, we." This is what she's bracing for, and maybe if she waters it down more..."We. You and me. We." It'll get him.

A little walk arm in arm towards where she sat before she ran to embrace Norman and little touches here and there...She'll get him.

"You know," She starts, "Doctor Edwards is such a good doctor and I know you've been working so hard. Though real change takes time. Work with him a little bit longer, you'll see how worth it it is when you do come home. Alright? That make sense doesn't it?" Norma took his hands prompting him to sit.

Norman didn't take the invitation. "It does," he answered. It doesn't. 

It just doesn't make sense at all, why his mother wants him to stay in this place and wouldn't let him come home, so he had to ask. "Just wondering mother, is this your idea or your husband's?"

Norman knew he hit home when his mother paused and something behind her eyes closed.

"I understand. Perfectly. Of course, Newly weds want time alone." he says, though he can't stand the thought of it. "Is that it? If I come home now, will I be in the way of your honeymoon."

He has her in this trap, and Norma tries to get out of his hold in the way she knows best: Lying.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Expecting that, he presents his evidence and raises it out of her reach. 

Norma sighs, "It's not how it looks Norman. It's not what you think." The gears on her mind are turning so quick, she stutters in hopes of not saying the wrong thing. "Okay, I did it for the medical insurance." She says. Its true, though it left a bitter taste on her tongue considering her change of perspective. 

"I don't believe you."

"Look Norman, pine view is expensive. You needed help, and I did it for you."

"He answered our phone. He was in our house. Have you been sleeping with him?"

"What are you talking about?" She whispered, frustrated. "I can't even believe you are asking me that!" How she wished she could raise her voice.

"I can't believe you're doing it," he said and he tears up. He doesn't like guilting her mother like this but its the last card he's got. He wants to go home, he'll play it all-in.

And it takes full effect. "Don't look at me like that, I can't bear it. Stop...," Norma said as she thumbs his tears away. "I did it for the insurance. That's it. I swear, Norman. He's a public figure and so it has to look real. That's all it it is Norman, That's all it is..."

He wants to believe her. But there's something in her eyes that doesn't quite make sense. Something changed. As he looks at his mother, he keeps telling himself he believes her, that its all for show. Even if he knows something changed.

"I love you." She looks straight into his eyes, her hand on his heart, "Everything I have ever done, I've done it for you. You're my son, Norman. You are my priority."

Her words take hold on him. He hears her, now he wants it acted upon. "Then prove it. Let me come home mother."

Norma paused. She looks at him. Really looks at him. She feels how proud she is of his work, she sees her boy grow into this young man who worked hard because they both know he needed help. 

She looks at him with her heart in pieces, because the fact is, she had a hand on the reason why he needed help in the first place. She's his mother who protects him, should know what's best for him, who loves him, and who will take care of him but became blinded of her belief that she can fix him. That he will be fine as long as he's under her wing. Maybe she herself needed help too. After all, without a ruler to do it against, you won't make the crooked straight. 

Heaven knows she and Norman both are hell bent on trying and still ending up on a blood puddle.

So she closes her eyes for a moment, and replayed his words in her mind, "Then prove it.", again and again. She takes a deep breath. She opened her eyes and looked the newspaper on Norman's hand, with the image of her and Alex. Then she looks again at her son, her Norman...

Norma made her decision.


	2. As It Should Be

Her heart is heavy from the conversation with Norman. It been a long drive, but she's standing now at her door, where she hears...a television?

Seeing her come in, Alex stands from where he sat at the sofa. "Surprise!" he greets her, arms wide open and a sweet smile on his face. She's in the living room, standing across from him, and she never felt so far. Attempting a smile, she says, "You got a TV!" 

She cringed at her own tone. How she wished she didn't feel so heavy right now.

"Yeah! For you." Alex said. 

Her sweet Alex. She's really screwing this up being so down and upset, so she tries to just look adamant about the TV and not upset about other things that happened today.

"Oh Come on! I know you love watching old movies and thought you might like actually seeing the pictures. So I got the 60 inch-" Alex said, as he picks up the DVDs from the table, "-and look I picked up a couple of-" he holds them up so she can see, "-these guys."

She looked that the DVDs and she smiles. She's got a thoughtful man.

"Yeah, that's it. That beautiful smile." Alex teased. "Come here let's watch these and put this giant to good use. Come on."

Norma sighs, "Alex, thank you for these, thank you for everything but not tonight. I just want to go to bed, can we go to bed?" she says, reaching her hand out to him as she stood up on the first step of the stairs.

"Okay..." he murmured and turned off the television. He walked towards her and takes her hand as they walk up. "Wanna tell me about it?" Alex says, as he opens the bedroom door and Norma makes a beeline to the bed.

She sat and let out a deep sigh. "I went to see Norman." she says, almost a whisper. "He really wants to come home..."

Alex sat beside her, taking her hand again. 

"So I told him-" she says as she tears up,"-I told him that I'm proud of him, with the work his done so far but also that...real change takes time so he needs to work with Doctor Edwards a little longer before he can finally come home." Norma says as squeezed Alex's hand. "I'm his mother and I didn't let him come home. But I think...I really think that that's what best for him." She bites back a sob, "Its hard," she whispers, and lets the sob escape her lips.

Alex wiped her tears. He takes her other hand this time and entwined it with his, "You did what you thought was the right thing," he says quietly. "You're a mother and I've never been a parent..." He takes their clasped hands close to his chest, "We're gonna get through this. Okay? and I'm gonna help you. We'll get through this together. It's all going to be alright I promise." Alex said, before unclasping their hands as he goes to embrace her. 

Norma melts into it. Her heart felt such warmth. It's been a long day but with Alex's arms around her, she knows she's home.


	3. Sugar, Spice...Everything nice?

Alex can feel the heat of the sun on his face and the warmth of Norma’s hand, buried in his hair. 

With his eyes still closed, he inches closer to her. He tucks his face on her neck and slumps an arm on her waist, pulling her close. 

“I can hear you thinking…” Alex mumbles as he stirs beside her. 

She smirks, “Yeah?” Norma says as she runs her fingers from his hair, down to his spine.

Alex whispers, “Yeah… I can hear the gears shifting,” his dead pan tone laced with teasing. Norma snickers at that.

He faces her and takes her hand, “You know you can tell me,” he says, as he kisses her knuckles. They lay side by side facing each other, and for a moment they look into each others’ eyes. 

He can tell there’s something on her mind.

She saw that he caught her deep in thought. 

After a heart beat, Alex laces their fingers together and squeezes her hand. Norma smiles. 

“Beautiful…” he thinks. Norma beamed, and only then he realised he said it out loud. And he says it again, and it earned him a giggle.

“I know…” She teased and he shakes his head.

Taking a breath, Alex turns solemn, “Whatever that is you’re thinking about, you know you can tell me…” he says.

“I know…” she says quietly as she takes back her hand in exchange for laying her head on his chest.

Alex lets it go. He’ll wait. He’ll always wait for her.

For now, he’ll take his turn on playing with her hair.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s been a day. A day from his conversation with his mother and Norman haven’t slept yet. He vomits out everything he ate. He can feel himself getting angrier by the hour.

He still can not believe it. She wouldn’t let him come home. His fist curls on his lap. Why won’t she let him come home? 

Stay a little bit longer, she said. It will all be worth it, she said. You are my priority, she said.

Tears well up and fell from his eyes. I love you, she said. 

How can his mother do this to him? He balls his fist and grits his teeth…

Romero. 

Norman believes his mother. He trusts her. She can’t do this to him. Romero is the reason behind all of this. Romero wants him locked up in this place so he can have her all on his own.

That’s what he saw on her eyes. Romero is changing her. Poor mother… Romero is manipulating her and making her do things she does not want to do.

Its going to be like being with Shelby again…Its going to be like being with his father again.

This cannot be. He can’t let this happen. He has to get out. He has to go home.

Wiping the tears from his face, he nods to himself.

He will go home.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex took off to work and Norma’s alone with her curtains, sewing machine, and her thoughts.

She worries about Norman, she wants him to be home. Of course, she does. But there’s something about making that decision not to let him that felt so right.

For the first time in being a mother to Norman, there is nothing about this decision she made for his sake that felt forced or felt like its a cover up for something much bigger. 

Norma felt sorry, nonetheless. Norman will resent her for sure, the way he did some nights ago, when he was first admitted. He’s surely disappointed at her again. Maybe even think of this as unforgivable.

Sucks to think about but strangely, she doesn’t feel strongly about it. All she knows is that she can feel herself letting go of him. Little by little. 

In her heart, she knows he’s not her little Norman anymore. Took a lot of time and strength to admit to the truth she knew very well ever since that day she appointed Norman as the Motel manager. 

He will always be her son, but its time for him to see things through on his own.

As she does too. She needs to see it that Norman will stay at pine view for now. He’ll be out of there a better man. He’ll come home to her a better Norman. 

She’ll also see to it he comes home to a better mother. 

She continues sewing as she wonders about how will Alex react when she tells him she’s thinking of going to therapy.

**Author's Note:**

> This is for all Normero shippers, which of course includes me, who lives in pure denial at the "Bates-motel-ended-at-Season-4-episode-8" residence.
> 
> Thank you for reading !! C:


End file.
